4 more days

Only four more days at Exeter. It is unbelievable. Seems just like yesterday when I first stepped down frm the bus, and onto campus. It seem just like yesterday when I was so confused and lost and wandering around with a map always in my bag. Now I now where everything is, and I know the names of most of the people who pass by me. I have settled in, well I have actually felt settled in ever since the first night. It is such a happy feeling. Well now I have to leave. I want to go to a summer program again. Not exeter, cuz I cant get financial aid twice. Not next summer though, because my parents probably won't allow it. I will go to either Andover or Choate and have the high school summer program experience summer of sophomore year. Yay!

Happiness

Yesterday, as I lay in bed, fresh out of a game of charades with my dorm, I felt happy. Not giddy yippy yay happy, but plain true happiness. Happiness is not feeling any other emotions than being content with what you have. I am found my niche here. I love the independence that I get, I love being financially and emotionally independent. My friends are awesome, and I have all the money I need on a debit card and it makes me feel good to be able to manage that money and spend it wisely. I am able to be myself without worrying what others think of me because they have the impression thats who I am. No parents, no having to ask permission wherever you go. Not having to ask permission to buy something. I can do anything I please. I feel so comfortable, so settled here. It's too bad that I only have one week left. One week left before I go back to being cooped up in one little house, being once more wrapped under strict rules and expectations. Once you are in charge of yourself, it's hard to give that freedom up to another person.

Wow, it has been a full month already. Does time past quickly or what. I don't want to leave. I would be fully content, the happiest person in the world, if my family could live here. If I would walk with my sister in the green parks of the campus every evening. If I could accompany her to the dining hall and help her get whatever she wants on her plate.

I feel like I have evolved so much over the past month. I'm scared that I will come back to Bush and retreat to the person I used to be. It will be difficult to stay myself, to let this new Duyen that has escaped from her shell stay out. I will try.

Rockingham Mall - Shopping!

Today I went to the Rockingham mall with friends. It cost 11 bucks to get there, chaperone and bus money and all that. It was so fun. We had about three hours and we utilized all that time. I went into Abercrombie & Fitch with my friends because they wanted to, yuck yucki. Then we went into Hollister which was way cooler and there was a major sale! Like two walls of tops and bottoms (not jeans though) were on sale. Tops and boardshorts were 12.90 and bermudas and khaki shorts were 18.90. I got a top and gray board shorts. There is no tax in New Hampshire so yay! Then we went into Aeropostale where I got a new bag for only 9.99! I needed a new bag because my aerie one was all stretched out at the handles. My new bag is pretty and large but the only bad thing is it has to no thing to close :(. OH WELL. I will just attach velcro stuff to it when I get back home IN ONE WEEK YAYYY! Then we went into Bath and Body works. They had a little bottle of sample lotion and it smelled so good and it was only 1 buck. I got it even though I don't need any more lotion. It will be for my sister. I called her today telling her about the lotion and she says she wants a new necklace even though she lost the adorable 5 buck dora necklace I bought her. I will go into town tomorrow or Monday to get her one at Jay Alyn's or Luna Chics. Probably Jay Alyn's because Luna Chics has really classy high priced stuff. Good times to come!

Yarghhh

I can't find my sunglasses! Where are they???? My mom would be mad if I lost them because they were Marc Jacobs!. . . . . . ahhh cry cyr. Oh well. . . I hope I find them soon.

Karaoke & Salsa

Karaoke at 3 today in the Agora. The singing part was not the most exciting thing of the occasion. The dj lady gave us breaks and she just played songs. These guys started break dancing and like showing off. They were having dance offs and break dancing and they were awesome! This one guy was like vibrating his hips and it was disturbing but very skillful. What is the deal with fight-dancing and shoving off each other's hats? It gets annoying after a while. . .

I came back from Salsa dancing just recently. The lady was super energetic and talented too! At first, there was only me and four of my friends. Then one girl left because she felt weird. After thirty minutes, the Latinos came. LATE. Anyways, we started feeling awkward because most of them were from Spanish speaking countries and they were probably really skilled at these dances. I felt extremely out of place. What was an Asian girl doing at Salsa dancing classes? We had to leave around 7 :45 in order to get back to our dorm in time for 8 o clock check in. Made a quick stop at the Grill for pop. Put my clothes in the dryer, then came back to my room to do homework.

Back from Boston

I got back from Boston yesterday. It was not at all educational, which I expected it to be. It was just a fun excursion. We went to see the Blue Man group, and to the aquarium, and the museum of science where I bought freeze dried ice cream that astronauts eat. It was good, but the texture was so odd. It was five bucks -_-. We stayed at an ultra cool hotel: the Marriot. There was a pool where I swam in. The second day there I woke up at 6 to go swimming. They gave us food vouchers so we could eat at places in the mall. We ate breakfast at the hotel and dinner was at a nice restauraunt once. I'll try to post pictures.

Bad thing: after we checked out, I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses. One of the teachers had to go back with me to get it and they were pissed. Because we were behind the other group, he had to get a cab to go to Quincy Market where we were meeting up. Then we shopped and stuff. Then we went back to the hotel to wait for the bus and I realized I forgot my PHONE CHARGER. I had to go back in my room AGAIN and I felt so bad.

Pre:Boston

Tomorrow, which shall be a Friday, I shall depart with my academic cluster to go on an excursion into Boston where we shall enrich our knowledge of crime scene investigation. I do not know what will happen precisely, but I am rather looking forward to it. We are going to take a bus into Boston and stay at a hotel with a pool. Hotels with pools can't be that bad right? And it's a Marriot. . .. . . with food provided for ^_^ except for two meals which totally sucks butt : P.

Btw, I totally splurged on socks today. 15 bucks for Juicy knee highs. 15 could have gotten me a new top. . . but I have enough tops. . . . . and i have none knee high socks. . . . but what chances do I have to wear bottoms that go with my knee highs? . . . . . but they were cute. . . . . . .^_^

Jail

I just came back from jail. Our class had a 'tour' of jail. It was sort of intimidating. The tour was given by the superintendent, and the things that he said and the tone of voice used was meant to scare us away from breaking the law. The doors were very heavy and they banged whenever closed. We got to see the central control center. Two people were there who monitored the entire place. They opened doors for people and they watched cameras. Scary facility.

Scroll down

If you want to see amazing actors, scroll down! ^_^

The Dance

I got back from the dance two hours ago. It was allright, not as ecstatically exciting as I had expected it to be. There were a lot of grinders, and this poor girl (well she was consenting) was sandwiched by two guys doing yucky stuff. I'm too tired to go into graphics because it is 12:30 over there about. Good night. *yawn*

Lessons I have Learned - Applies to All

Having been at Exeter, I have learned lessons that do not apply to academics. I don't know if this is a result of being here or what but here goes at the risk of sounding like a total cheese:

- Being with new people expands your musical interests. I have stuff on my Ipod that I have never of before being here, like Cute is what we aim for and Katy Perry. Your Ipod playlist displays your personality and if the playlist expands that means your personality has also expanded. Yay ^_^

- It's okay to be alone at times. You don't have to hang out with or be around the presence of people all the time. It's not going to matter if you miss hang out time with your friends once or twice. What matters is you and how you use that time to develop yourself.

- It's okay to be yourself - self explanatory and over said but it is true. Pretending to be someone is not worth it and tiring.

- Volleyball is a team sport - no matter how skilled you are, the whole team needs to be good and work together. It doesn't hurt if you guys are buddies either, because then you can forgive each other's mistake. Example: I was playing with a team today that I only knew one person in it well and we sucked so bad. I don't know if they're regularly that bad or because they hated me. When played well, volleyball is very fun and fun makes you feel good. So through a geometric mathematical property (transversal? idk) volleyball makes you feel good.

Polar Bear

Today, I woke up at 4:50 am. Got ready, then walked in my bathing suit and towel (so cold) to the place where the busses met to drive us to the Atlantic Ocean. We got out there, and just walking on the sand numbed my feet! It was low tide and the sand that usually was under water formed such beautiful ripples! Mildly fun, can't decide if I want to do it again. I don't know how much time we got out there, but I know by the time I got in the shower to get all the sand off of me, it was around 7. Then I went and got breakfast like a normal person. But, I am sleepy now because I woke up at 4:50.

PREPS

why is everyone at this school preppy? Coming here, I expected the usual clump of preps that occur at every school, but they have infested the whole damn place. It is a little unsettling, seeing Abercrombie Hollister AE Aeropostale Wet Seal EVERYWHERE.

Dance or relatives?

I made plans to stay with my (rather distant) relatives who live in Massachusetts. The same day!! (this Saturday) is one of only TWO school dances here at Exeter. What should I do, move the relative visit to next Sat which I know will complicate things and I really don't want to be a bother to anybody but I also really want to go the dance. I want to experience everything possible here and I don't want to miss out but I also don't want to upset my family. Oh my god, by writing this I just figured out what I will do. Blogs are cool.

There are so many decisions I have to make right now, and I am emotionally fragile because I am so far from home for such a long time. I am so mad agitated frustrated confused that I could cryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy from anger. . . . . . idk . . . . . . . .. .. . .

Unfair punishment

At Exeter, there is this rule that if your lights aren't out by 11, then you have to check in early on Saturday, 10:30 and not 11. It's not that serious but it is a punishment and you are in trouble. I had to go to the bathroom about ten minutes after 11 yesterday, and I turned my light on and propped my door so I wouldn't have to bring the key with me. The guy on duty (there is a man in a girls' dorm O_o) was strolling around and he saw my light on. He gave me the punishment of early check-in when there was a girl also coming out of the bathroom with me and she was brushing her teeth when she was supposed to do that very much earlier!!!!!!!!!! I saw the chart, and she didn't get punished.

This is so unfair. I could talk to the dorm head, who is also my advisor, but I don't want to argue. What should I do I am so . . . . . . agitated. . . . . frustrated. . . . . confused.. . . . . . . .. . . . seriously

College Fair

There was a college fair yesterday at 6:30. Representatives from prestigious schools like Dartmouth, Brown, and Columbia were there. It was so amazing to be there and to be in the presence of such big names. Harvard wasn't there though, which disappointed me. I now have pamphlets from Ivy League schools (and a few other no namers that I took so I don't hurt the people's feelings lol jk) and it is so amazing just to think about these things. I don't think I will ever throw the pamphlets away. They are souvenirs and awesome.

There is a college trip visit to Dartmouth soon, and it sounds insanely awesome. However, it costs 25 dollars. I need the people's opinions. Should I? If the people read this, the people must comment! It contains information to my future.

Flash Drive

Today we received 4 GB flashdrives (for free!(I hope)) in digital photography class. 4 GB is a lot of junk. Hee hee, so far today I am happy.

Volleyball

We have had physical education period a few times before. I thought we would have more choices, but Access Exeter choices are skimpy. I ended up choosing volleyball, which was sort of playing it safe because I already knew how to play. I thought I was a decent player, but in actuality compared to these people I suck. The playing environment at Bush was nice and friendly, but it is competitive here. Most people can do killer overhand serves; the smack follows when there hand makes contact with the ball sounds like it hurts. I can only do decent underhand, and the teacher says everyone can respond to an underhand (but teehee they can't).

The second pe period I thought oh no two more weeks of this. That was immediately followed up by i'm going to get good! Hey, who knows, I might even get into varsity at Bush if I can make the time commitment and if my parents want to make the time commitment. We played games yesterday. I thought it would be a nice friendly competitive game, but those people were fierce! We beat them 26-24. When we got to 25 (the game goes to 25) we thought we won but they argued it out saying when there is a tie you have to go one more time. They were right, but we still beat them. And this one girl got really mad at us because she thought you could play outs. Yeah, you can, but why would you? It's just to your disadvantage if you miss it, but if you let it fall it's either your point or your serve. Haters.

There are no second chances here! At Bush, if you miss your first serve, then you get to go again. Not here! Whoo, competition is sizzling.

Something I need to print for class l8r.

www.wikipedia.org

The term red herring is used in mystery literature, where one character is described in a way that makes readers think s/he is the culprit when it is in fact another character.

Occam's razor was a theory developed by William of Ockam, who said that when explaining a phenomenon, one should try to make as few assumptions as possible.

no more computer woes

I called the technical support guy at HP and he helped me fix my computer! Yeah!!!! I am so happy now.

July 12, 2008 - Computer Woes

AAFFGHGFHGHGH my computer won't turn on. Any help? It would totally suck if I broke it, cuz it was insanely expensive. I think its cuz THIS GIRL used it every hour to check her myspace and it suffered from constant turning on and offing.

July 11, 2008 - english class drama

Okay, english class was insane. There are two teachers, a Mr. M (I think) and a Mr. St Jean. Mr. M had a doctors appointment and had to leave us, but Mr. SJ wasnt there yet, and MR. M said that if SJ didnt come by 2:10, then we could leave. SJ wasnt there by 2:10, so we left!!!! Our whole class skipped class, it was so hilarious. Then we went to the Grill to hang out, and SJ went in and somebody saw his face and said he look pissed!

Kay, got to go, have to do laundry. eek!

July 11, 2008 - Heat Rash

I got a heat rash damn it. I never got a heat rash before. . . . and it itches really bad. I tried finding the infirmary yesterday, and I was rushed and accidentally went in to a boys' dorm (which is strictly prohibited cuz they're scared ppl will get freaky) I found it today and it is freaky big, like a real doctor's office with real staff and stuff. They have me hydrocortisone cream and I'm worried they're gonna charge my dad's credit card.

I went to the bookstore today and bought a teddy bear that was almost twenty bucks. I don't know if i should have done that but it was so soft and cute for my sister. My sister deserves an expensive teddy ^_^. I also got a 200 minute phone card cuz I used my 100 minute super quick in a few days. I think there will be another blog for this day l8ter. G2g.

July 10, 2008 9:21

I am here right now entering stuff on my blog and not in class because class does not start until after milk and cookies time (what the hell?) which starts at 10:20. I guess I am grateful for the extra homework time but this will get very annoying. I guess I could sleep in, but my friends are in class by 9:25 so I would be all alone. We made plans to buy cup noodles at the Grill (this place where you can buy food even though the dining hall is almost always open when you are hungry and the food is delish and free) apparently cup noodles are unhealthy, blarrgh - anyways we planned to eat that for lunch. Yum yum yum. I miss noodles. Hee hee I'm so Asian.

So this girl has her birthday on Sunday. Everybody's getting her something and I kind of don't want to even though she's my friend. Money you know! (you know what im talking about Macey) So I ended up getting her a weird but useful gift that she insited on having: a BINDER. I thought it was like four something but it turned out to be three buck something and Im like yeah cheap!!!! Feel kind of bad cuz this other girl got her a super fancy card for seven bucks and another girl got her a pack of three headphones for fifteen bucks. I didnt show she got her headphones, so I gave the birthday girl my old Ipod headphones, and when she told me im like oh crap. Anyways the day hasn't started much. Breakfast everyday is like eggs and I'm starting to get sick of it cuz their eggs are super buttery and eggghhh. Every meal, i drink honey tea with ginseng. So yummy and I think its good for you idk lol.

You know you love me, XOXO,
- Duyen

July 9, 2008

Second day of classes. Today was a special day. Kind of stupid in my opinion: Student Life Day or something like that. I only had one class: Digital Photography that lasted an hour. The amazing thing was that I actually used what I learned at Bush from the crappy art classes. We were asked to analyze pictures, and I used the principles of art such as balance, constrast, pattern, and focal point to point out what was exemplary about the pictures. I do not get it actually. I have never seen a picture that took my breath away because of the technique. I have never seen a picture that took my breath away period.

Student Life Day. Our advisor took us out to a bakery a short walk away in the town of Exeter where she bought everyone a drink and a cookie. I got black currant ice tea and no cookie because I have no passionate love for cookies. Afterwards, we decorated t-shirts for field day on friday. Yeah theres going to be an inflatable carnival in the gym on Saturday. We're the Peabody Peppers. You pronounce it pee-buddy. lol, pee buddy hee.

There were swim tests today and I was too chicken to take them. The shallow end of the pool was 7 FEET. and the deep was 12 feet. No matter what end I went in, I would totally sink. You had to swim to the end and back. If my life depended on it, I probably could have done it. but I was too scared that I would need assistance getting out and that's just plain embarrasing to get stranded in water. So now i can't use the pool facilities and when I go to the beach I can't go in water above my knees. I don't even know if I'm allowed to go to the water park. Not being able to swim sucks so bad.

First PE tomorrow. The choices kind of sucked. I got into volleyball. I bet the instructors are better than Theo.

July 7th

Today, July 7th was my first day of class. Everybody only takes 3 classes. All my classes are in the afternoon, so my day is free until 10 something every single day. Kind of awesome, kind of crappy. class was cool.

More information on my first day at Exeter, and also today. Date July 7, 2008

I departed from Sea Tac around 10 @ night and arrived in Washington Dulles at 3:00 in the morning Pacific Time. There, I ate my nasty subway which was soggy from the heavy honey mustard the stupid sandwich maker put on. We waited around 2 hrs until our plane to Boston came. It lasted around an hour and I got on. We arrived at Boston and waited an hour for the charter bus to come. It took another hour to get to Exeter. We got on Campus around 12. so the journey lasted more than half a day. That was really boring writing.

Then it was registration day time. They gave us our id cards which doubled as a debit card. Mines held 300 dollars. Which is actually not that much. The school suggested 600 spending money. Then we walked around stations to registrate. I got my laundry card, set up my account, got to know my dorm, and wandered around the place, which was quite a feat considering the temperature.

Today, we went on a small ferry toar of the Isle of Shoals (I believe that is what they are called.) One half of that body of water was Maine, and the other half was New Hampshire. We played a rather, for lack of better words, stupid scavenger hunt where we all have played a version of. We search for people who have certain things true about them. The first person to get everyone wins a fabulous prize *sarcasm* a box of SKITTLES. All other winners gets . . . drum roll please. . . . .a mini packet of SKITTLES. Oo-la-la my heart shall burst with suspense. Then we got back here. On the bus ride home, I talked with this girl whose name is so long I can't write. She is from Thailand (to all Rainier Scholars: its kind of like Sean's last name Ekavithvorakul) and her nickname is Paw. Pronounced Pow. She didn't know what bubble tea was! Her family must have been really rich to afford Exeter. International students can't get financial aid and 6000+ dollars in Thai money is quite a hefty sum. I have also meet with a girl from Venezuela, a girl from Hong Kong, and a girl who lives in my dorm and is from Hong Kong too but she's white. Cool!

After the boat tour, it was universal free time. I have wasted my free time by wasting money at the bookstore on an overpriced water bottle + dividers + prepaid phoning card + Carmex (which my friend had to help me get cuz it was too tall boohoo). It all added up to 18 DOLLARS. Yarggh. i dont know if I can last the summer at this current spending rate. I spent 80 on books yesterday. well, technically I only spent 50 on books because of a Barnes and noble gift card given to me by someone (thanks so much someone lol) OO and I purchased an ethernet cable and successfully installed it so thats why I have kick butt internet.

The only query remaining is, if I have kick butt internet in my own room, why am I killing my butt sitting on this hard stool in the library where the computer is not nearly kick butt as mine? Well, probably because the library AC is totally awesome. . . . . . . .
you know you love me XOXO Duyen

I just got here yesterday!

yep, I just got here yesterday and it is a pretty awesome place. The campus is really big and its extremely hot and annoying outside. Apparently, it's so cool that I come from Seattle. I don't know why, but whenever anybody asks I don't say Seattle I say Washington. I'm afraid they won't know where Seattle is, but that's like not knowing where Chicago is (I actually couldn't point it out on a map to you lol.) It's in Illinois!.

Anyways, the dining hall is like a food free for all. I swear, you could eat like enough food for five people and they won't even notice. It's a buffet with juice machines, an ice cream machine (but when it is time for my dinner they put a cloth over it hargh) and like a cereal dispenser. In ten minutes I'm going to head out with my advisory to eat breakfast together and then go to a required all school assemply and then go on a joy boat ride. If i don't bring Dramamine with me I will die and barf and embarras myself. I will write back with more details of how I got here, maybe. Kay toodles.
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